I love when it is time for church. When I get myself ready, I try to prepare myself to fully be open to encountering Jesus. The world always tries to interrupt. The world wants to keep us away from our time with Jesus, no matter whether we are at home, out and about, or even in His church. The devil will do whatever he can to try and keep us from uninhibited worship and from hearing the Word of God.
One of the biggest distractions at church is social media. We spend so much time on social media at home, at work, and at school. It has become an obsession to many people. Often people do not want to turn their phones to silent or keep them out of their hands. Something might happen. I might miss something big. But when you enter the church with your phone in hand, you have an option. You can put down your phone and fix your eyes on Jesus, or you can keep your eyes fixed on your phone.
The age of cell phones and social media has added to what we bring to church to distract us. Before, we were distracted by some people in attendance, perhaps a loud baby, a talkative neighbor, or playful children. Maybe the distractions were internal distractions, thinking about what happened yesterday. Now we have the entire world that we bring inside the church. The phone notifies us of a new friend request, three likes, and someone sharing your pin. Your eyes are fixed on the world—away is time with Jesus. You went to church to encounter Jesus but you settled with the world instead. As you enter church, silence your phones. Put them aside. Try to push away each distraction and fix your eyes on Him. Don’t allow the devil to keep you from spending time with the One Who is I AM.
“I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” – Psalm 143:6 [ESV]
Tania Gutekunst 